


Chivalry Is Not Dead… Shawn Will Make Sure of It

by ClaireFisher



Series: Words In Between [23]
Category: Psych (TV 2006)
Genre: Episode: s05e04 Chivalry Is Not Dead... But Someone Is, F/M, Romance, Shules
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 08:47:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30036081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClaireFisher/pseuds/ClaireFisher
Summary: If you asked her, Juliet couldn’t say Shawn was a gentleman in the traditional sense but, to her, he was just the right gentleman.Episode 05x04: Chivalry Is Not Dead... But Someone Is
Relationships: Juliet O'Hara/Shawn Spencer
Series: Words In Between [23]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1817497
Comments: 6
Kudos: 6





	Chivalry Is Not Dead… Shawn Will Make Sure of It

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! Happy Sunday!!
> 
> New extension here!!! This one was based on one of my favorite eps of Psych and was a request by the sweet pie Montecristo23 (Alice, your ideas kill me - in a good way!! I love them so much!)
> 
> This was the prompt - _I would love to see your take on Jules' point of view in this episode. Maybe just her seeing and reacting to Shawn's behavior; him trying to "court" Gillian and seeing this different side of Shawn? ___
> 
> And this fic was born! I hope it meets all your expectations!
> 
> Also, if this story seems a little confusing, please, bear with me. It is intentional. I wanted to bring this turmoil going on inside Jules' head, how she's perceiving Shawn now, and how her recent trauma and stored feelings are mixing and taking her peace away. It was a shot in the dark, but I hope you'll love it ;)
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this little piece, and please, leave a comment, suggestion, or anything else you feel like! I love to read your opinions and the feedback is always appreciated <3

Shawn Spencer, a gentleman.

Well, certainly it wasn’t the first quality Juliet would address to her dear friend. ( _ Dear? Well - huh! - No. N-not… not  _ _ dear _ _? Hum… Okay. Dear friend.) _

No, through her eyes, Shawn was a lot of things, many of those she couldn't fit in a defined category, and others she wouldn’t dare endeavor about, her heart not healed enough, not strong enough to deal with the turmoil of uncovering some truths that were better left aside, at least for now.

Still, that case made Juliet involuntarily venture to the unrequited reasoning she was so desperately avoiding. She and Shawn weren’t quite back to the way things were. Her trauma was still too fresh, and she wouldn’t dare ask him what Abigail's departure had done to the invincible psychic. 

Juliet became sterner in her daily self-lecture, and a lot more guarded too. 

It was a risk too high, the fall may be too big, and Juliet could barely hold herself on her two feet, let alone jump around to the will of Shawn and his shenanigans. 

And, at first, she thought it would be easy to grow a harder approach to her friend's charm and knee-weakening grins, to ignore his flirty comments, and even more, the pain concealed behind his green eyes.

After all, Shawn was no gentleman, right? Wasn’t who she was looking for. ( _ As if I’m looking for someone right now, which I’m not. And if I was, it wouldn’t be Shawn.  _ **_Or, maybe…_ ** _.No!  _ **_But what about the realizations you had a few months back? They wer-_ ** _ No! Shawn is not what I’m looking for! _ ) 

But then, as if to play some sickening trick on her, or really, out of pure devilish revenge, her mind started to pick on details that she, usually, would address as ordinary or would miss out. Sure, subconsciously, all those moments were registered, and her compromised dumb heart would jump around her ribcage, pressing her lungs until was hard to breathe or think. But her mind would soon make her ignore it, in the interest of protecting what was still aching, what could be damaged and hurt again. 

And, for a while, it seemed to be working.

Until Prescott came, forcing Juliet to acknowledge what should be a perfect gentleman, to realize how far Shawn was from that ( _ not that I’m caring, okay? _ ), and finally accepting that he was far better than that. 

_ “If someone is out there killing handsome and youthful bachelors in Santa Barbara, then all of us are in danger.”  _

And she would deny that her stern look and annoyed face softened almost instantly at the words of the witty Shawn Spencer, praising his handsomeness in his own peculiar way, inevitably causing Juliet to recognize it, for her own deception or joy - she still wasn’t sure of it. Only seconds after she realized that there was some undeniable truth behind his words. If indeed, there was someone out there targeting young, handsome men in Santa Barbara, Shawn could be in some serious danger. 

If her features hardened again after this quick awareness, Juliet would blame it on the joke Shawn proceeded to make after his statement. 

Later that morning, when everyone was clearly experiencing the effects of being awake in the middle of the night, for a crime that was still hanging on a large grey area of motive and cause, Lassiter more pissed by the second at the realization that Spencer might be right in his deducing, Juliet was wondering how much longer she would have to endure her moody partner, and the constant commute he imposed on her of going back and forth from her table to the evidence room, and then to the lab, to find some evidence or any kind of information, really, that could put the case on its tracks. 

By the time the Chief called in a gathering in her office, Shawn and Gus arriving just in time, styrofoam coffee cups in their hands, that seemed to disappear between the time Juliet took to move from her desk to the office, she realized how much her feet were hurting, and how long she had been standing up.

Carlton occupied the left seat across Chief’s table with a loud huff, and crossed his arms above his chest in annoyance and disappointment at the lack of progress, not minding to care about the other people in the room. 

Juliet’s eyes glimmered at the sight of the vacant chair on the right, but already grieving the loss of it since Shawn was a few steps ahead of her, and with his hand already on the back of the seat, for sure intending to occupy it. To her biggest surprise, and most profound gratitude, he pulled the chair and stepped away, hands pointing for her to take the seat while his face bore a timid smile, eyes reading hers like a scanner, and she wondered how he knew she needed that chair so much. 

_ Psychic, Juliet. He just read your mind.  _

_ But he always says he can’t read minds. Only on special occasions. _

_ Was this a special occasion?  _

Was she special? 

But her thoughts were cut short, gladly, when Carlton stood up and started to vent on Shawn. 

The case finally took a turn for the best, clues starting to piece together in a solid direction. And the small competition set between the two pairs would serve Juliet as a good focus to her distracted mind, which seemed to be losing itself since the crime scene. And the fact that, once she went out of the Chief’s office, Shawn and Gus disappearing right away, Juliet saw a styrofoam cup of coffee on her desk, didn’t help her case at leashing her heart. 

And, for a while, it worked. Well, that and Carlton’s opinions on the case, and women in general. Everything seemed to be getting back to normal, her walls restored and firmly standing, until - a word she seemed to be saying a lot on that last few hours - they stepped inside Lance Tolkin’s apartment, Gus standing there while Shawn was hanging upside down, face all red, while he tried to vouch for his own hunch, explaining his unorthodox methods of investigation, and seeming to ignore completely the position he was, literally. 

Juliet, in all her professionalism, decided to roll her eyes and bring some irritation and disbelief to her face, for good measure, trying to keep composed. But it only took Shawn descending from the abdominal machine, muscles contracting and showing through his shirt, for her mind to instantly fog, her eyes seeming to drink in the man in front of her for the seconds he was turned away.

_Oh my God, he’s so ho-_ _Don’t you dare say it, Juliet! Do something! Anything!_

So she went to explore the apartment, sternly lecturing herself, over and over, trying to recall all the things in Shawn that annoyed her profoundly. Anything to bring her senses back. and remind her of the reasons why she shouldn't tear down her walls.

He was a flight risk, he was no gentleman. 

Still, her mind seemed to be having a hard time processing that. This all only got worse once she realized that they were investigating a crime, which may have been committed by a guy who was specialized in training men to be gentlemen, only serving to reinforce Juliet of all the things she was trying to run away from. 

Night came, and she found herself trapped in a car with Carlton, surveilling Gilian Tucker, their prime suspect, and the one Shawn believed was innocent, being surprised by the very psychic in a ridiculous costume and his friend, rubbing in the Detectives’ face his own suspicions about the ultimate gentleman Clive Prescott. Between bickering and discussion, no conclusion was drawn from it, only the certainty that the pairs disagreed with each other. And while Carlton kept going on about how he was right, this time, surprisingly, arousing Gus’ angry side, who decided to retort with the Head Detective, Shawn kept quiet, staring at the rearview mirror, searching for the blue eyes of Juliet, concern in his, for something she wasn’t sure what it was. It was gone as fast as it was there and, with a small smile, and bit reluctantly, he went out of the car. 

Juliet didn’t understand what was that all about until she realized he had left a green blanket at the back seat, knowing that Lassie would probably force them to stay there until Gilian was out of the restaurant, and he wouldn't allow the heater on. But there was more in that look. It wasn’t just that. As she turned, from the corner of her eyes, she noticed a tower peeking out of other buildings. A clock on it. 

Her eyes swam in the water, but she was quick in disguising it, feeling her heart fill with gratitude and some unnamed feeling that kept seeming harder and harder to deny or mask. 

She kept the blanket and memory tight around her, intending on returning it the next day, in case Shawn dropped by the station. But he never did. In fact, she had waited for him ( _ no, I haven’t! _ ) the entire afternoon, only to discover that her dear friend had other plans in mind. 

Apparently, he had made plans with the one Gillian Tucker, their suspect, the possible wealthy murder who clearly had been caught by the captivating charm of Shawn. 

Juliet wanted to make fun of it, to tease Shawn and, for once, prove to herself, and anyone interested, that that case, or the psychic, and all the gentleman stuff, didn’t affect her at all. 

So, once she stepped inside the Psych office, immediately catching sight of the boys and the women, pizzas and cheap wine littering the desks, Juliet vowed to ignore anything that might trigger her compromised heart, instead, holding her focus on Carlton, and all the mocking coming out of his mouth.

Of course, that proved to be extremely hard in the sight of Shawn on that blue dress shirt, intensifying the color in his eyes and wrapping around him very nicely, bringing back memories of earlier, shortening Juliet’s breath, which she was quick to cover. 

Relying on humor, she found her way out of the dangerous zone, exiting the office a couple of minutes later, confident that she didn't let any of her leaking feelings transpire, and assured that she wasn’t affected at all by Shawn’s date, or by that case. 

She didn’t care.

And if any indicator of her little care about it all was the fact that she wasn't, not even a little, not remotely jealous of Gillian Tucker. Not a bit. Oh, no. Juliet O’Hara wasn’t jealous of an older woman, who Shawn clearly had no interest in. After all, this was simply a case, right? 

Gillian Tucker meant nothing.

Absolutely nada.

_ Oh my gosh, maybe Shawn had kissed her? _

_ Egh. _

No, he wouldn't do that, would he?

Would he kiss that woman?

Why was her face becoming so red?

Why were her knuckles turning white?

No, that was going too far. Shawn wouldn't do that. He said so to her.

It was just a case.

Juliet was focused.

She wasn’t getting involved.

She was fine.

Until Shawn was admitted to the hospital.

He would never know, and she wouldn't confess at gunpoint that her vision blacked out for a second or two, and she sneaked at his room at the hospital when Gus was sleeping, mouth open, drool on his cheek, and Shawn dead out, just to make sure he was breathing and well. 

No one would ever know. 

The unreturned blanket wrapped her in a cozy cocoon that night, the faint smell of Shawn’s cologne in it, the only thing strong enough to soothe her heart in a dreamless sleep. The next morning, she folded the green fabric in a neat square and, instead of putting it at the backseat of her car, where it was the previous day, she stored it in her closet, on top of all her other blankets, choosing to ignore the reasons that moved her to make that decision. 

A fresh cup of coffee and the bright blue morning sky were sufficient to set her back on her professional mode, composed and collected. Unaffected. 

Until - there it’s, again - she was shoved inside an interrogation room with Shawn and Prescott. While sitting beside the Psychic was a bit distracting, she was certain that this time, she wouldn't get carried away. But Clive wasn’t called the best teacher for no reason.

_ “Do you, like Lady Chatterley, feel trapped emotionally? Longing? The need -- The desire to be held?” _

She felt her breathing fault and, for once, Juliet thought that the actual psychic inside that room wasn’t named Spencer. If she wasn’t so distracted in her own realization and turmoil of feelings, she would capture the jealousy embedded in Shawn’s tone. 

And while the interrogation proceeded, and Shawn got more worked up, more Juliet felt Clive’s sentence hammering in her head, bringing her back to all the moments where she felt just like that, and the killing need of having someone to hold her when her world was crumbling down. She wouldn’t name that someone right now, but honestly, she didn't have to, because he was just there, annoyed and ranting, unaware of the position he occupied in her life. 

As the case developed, and more victims were deceased in their journey to uncover the culprit, Juliet still found herself thinking back at Clive’s words, each time her eyes were on Shawn, the more her mind would wrap around the lingering feelings keeping her up at night, or clouding her mind, even at the most dangerous situations, forcing her to think why she kept Shawn at arm’s length, confusing her more than she could begin to comprehend. 

Shawn was no gentleman and having the opportunity of knowing the master in the art of chivalry, Juliet was only assured of that. 

So why was she overthinking everything? 

She had a case to solve, one with pressing urgency, one that, if they didn’t move fast, thanks to Shawn’s latest vision, would end up in another murder. 

Unfortunately, traffic and falling trees didn't seem to mind the rush the Detectives were in, and Juliet was about to lose that case. But Shawn wouldn't allow that, competitions aside, he wouldn't let her lose. So he got out of the car, despite her urges for him to get back and stay put, fearing the danger he was putting himself into, and ran up the hill, making his way the fastest he could. 

Juliet watched him fly up, the turmoil inside her only growing larger.

She could only breathe properly after she cuffed the real culprit. Eugenia would have a long time in jail to think about her crimes, and if Juliet shoved her a little too forcefully into the car it had nothing to do with the fact that the woman had tried to poison Shawn. 

The case was closed, and paperwork was quickly filled, the competition ignored at the conclusion that they caught the bad guy so, to the surprise of everyone, except for Henry, Shawn let it go.

Later that day, after some thinking, Juliet decided that, instead of wasting her time trying to understand all that happened, she should simply thank Shawn for his help and, seeking an excuse to stop by at the Psych office, she brought his paycheck along with her. It would be motif enough.

Past seven P.M, most of the establishments non-food-related on the boardwalk were closed, and Juliet made her way there without impediments, parking her car beside Shawn’s motorcycle, no blue Echo at sight, meaning she would find, again, to her joy or distress, the office probably occupied only by Shawn.

Silently, she made her way inside, aware that the door would be open, after all, Shawn never closes it. Stepping softly, she wasn’t sure if her friend would be taking a nap or something, after all, later that night a  _ Back To the Future _ rerun would air and he sure would want to be prepared to watch it entirely. 

Instead, Juliet stopped at the door, leaning at the frame quietly, surprised by a scene she never thought she would see in her life. 

There, sitting at his desk, face scratched by the branches he had to dodge on his way to solve the case, scratches that were supposed to be hers, Shawn had his head buried in a book, apparently engrossed by his reading. On the cover, printed in large red letters, the title caught her eyes immediately. 

_ Lady Chatterley's Lover. _

Exiting the office still silent, Juliet decided that it was better if she left Shawn alone with his book. 

On her way back home the inevitable revisit of memories happened, and Juliet finally allowed herself to acknowledge all that had happened on those last few days.

Shawn had brought her coffee and blankets, gave his seat to her, and in his own way tried to solve the case so she would succeed. He cared and silently showed her that his unconventional attitudes could be more heartwarming and meaningful than ordinary ones. 

Other memories from the past started to resurface in her mind, flashbacks of moments of those last four years that supported Juliet’s latest realization. 

Shawn always opens the door for her, regardless if she notices it or not. He never lets her dig into dirty places such as garbage, trash cans, or gory crime scenes. He always stops by her desk with a concerned look and, occasionally, a treat, especially when she's having a hard day or dealing with an exhausting case. He always makes sure she's protected and secure, even if sometimes he can't prevent her from getting hurt. 

He is always there for her.

So yes, if you asked her, Juliet couldn’t say Shawn was a gentleman in the traditional sense but, to her, he was just the right gentleman. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Just wanted to clear out that I've never read the book _Lady Chatterley's Lover _(nor I intend to. Fans aside, it's not, at all, my type of book, nor I agree with what is written there, just my personal view ;) ), but, it seemed like something Shawn would do. Not for the story per se, but because Juliet had read it. :)__


End file.
